Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo has joined Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr on a 2-1/2 year contract, the club announced on Friday, after leaving Manchester United disgruntled with ownership and manager Erik ten Hag to become a free agent ahead of the World Cup.
Al Nassr issued a statement saying the five-time Ballon D’or winner will join on a deal until 2025 but did not disclose any financial details. Ronaldo’s contract has been estimated by media to be worth more than 200 million euros ($214.04 million).
“I am fortunate that I have won everything I set out to win in European football and feel now that this is the right moment to share my experience in Asia,” Ronaldo said in the statement.
“I am looking forward to joining my new team mates and together with them help the Club to achieve success.”
The move comes over a month after Ronaldo, in a tell-all interview with Piers Morgan, blasted his former club, Manchester United, and its coach and American owners.
In announcing the deal, the club simply tweeted that “the world’s greatest athlete officially signed for [Al Nassr].”
“This is more than history in the making,” Al Nassr Football Club President Musalli Almuammar said. “This is a signing that will not only inspire our club to achieve even greater success but inspire our league, our nation and future generations.”
As part of his deal, Ronaldo is said to receive a home in an affluent area close to the training ground. He may also have a role in supporting Saudi Arabia’s bid to host the World Cup in 2030.
